(19)
(11) EP 1 188 064 B8

(12) CORRECTED EUROPEAN PATENT SPECIFICATION
Note: Bibliography reflects the latest situation

(15) Correction information:
Corrected version no 1 (W1 B1)

(48) Corrigendum issued on:
20.12.2006 Bulletin 2006/51

(45) Mention of the grant of the patent:
09.08.2006 Bulletin 2006/32

(21) Application number: 00946838.0

(22) Date of filing: 22.06.2000
(51) International Patent Classification (IPC): 
G01R 33/28(2006.01)
 G01R 33/32(2006.01)
(86) International application number:
PCT/US2000/017118
(87) International publication number:
WO 2001/001164 (04.01.2001 Gazette 2001/01)

(54)

DETERMINATION OF THE POLARIZATION LEVEL OF ACCUMULATED HYPERPOLARIZED NOBLE GASES DURING PRODUCTION

BESTIMMUNG DES POLARISATIONSGRADES VON ANGEREICHERTEN HYPERPOLARISIERTEN GASEN WÄHREND IHRER PRODUKTION

DETERMINATION DU NIVEAU DE POLARISATION DE GAZ NOBLES HYPERPOLARISES ACCUMULES PENDANT LA PRODUCTION

(84) Designated Contracting States:
AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

(30) Priority: 30.06.1999 US 344000

(43) Date of publication of application:
20.03.2002 Bulletin 2002/12

(73) Proprietor: Medi-Physics, Inc.
Princeton, NJ 08540 (US)

(72) Inventor:
  • DRIEHUYS, Bastiaan, Center for In Vivo Microscopy
    Durham, NC 27710 (US)

(74) Representative: Rollins, Anthony John et al
GE Healthcare Limited Amersham Place Little Chalfont,
Bucks. HP7 9NA
Bucks. HP7 9NA (GB)


(56) References cited: : 
DE-A- 19 742 548
US-A- 4 755 201
US-A- 5 809 801
 GB-A- 1 036 002
US-A- 5 642 625
   
  • B T SAAM ET AL: "Low Frequency NMR Polarimeter for Hyperpolarized Gases" JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE,ACADEMIC PRESS, ORLANDO, FL,US, vol. 134, 1998, pages 67-71, XP002116397 ISSN: 1090-7807 cited in the application
  • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 1997, no. 03, 31 March 1997 (1997-03-31) & JP 08 316058 A (DIAMOND ELECTRIC MFG CO LTD), 29 November 1996 (1996-11-29)
  • MOLLER H E ET AL: "Signal dynamics in magnetic resonance imaging of the lung with hyperpolarized noble gases" JOURNAL OF MAGNETIC RESONANCE, NOV. 1998, ACADEMIC PRESS, USA, vol. 135, no. 1, pages 133-143, XP002149763 ISSN: 1090-7807
  • RUTH U ET AL: "Production of nitrogen-free, hyperpolarized /sup 129/Xe gas" APPLIED PHYSICS B (LASERS AND OPTICS), JAN. 1999, SPRINGER-VERLAG, GERMANY, vol. B68, no. 1, pages 93-97, XP000942355 ISSN: 0946-2171
  • DRIEHUYS B ET AL: "HIGH-VOLUME PRODUCTION OF LASER-POLARIZED 129XE" APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS,US,AMERICAN INSTITUTE OF PHYSICS. NEW YORK, vol. 69, no. 12, 16 September 1996 (1996-09-16), pages 1668-1670, XP000629162 ISSN: 0003-6951
  • PATENT ABSTRACTS OF JAPAN vol. 012, no. 174 (E-612), 24 May 1988 (1988-05-24) & JP 62 283616 A (TOKYO ELECTRIC CO LTD), 9 December 1987 (1987-12-09)
  • ROSEN M S ET AL: "Polarized /sup 129/Xe optical pumping/spin exchange and delivery system for magnetic resonance spectroscopy and imaging studies" REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS, FEB. 1999, AIP, USA, vol. 70, no. 2, pages 1546-1552, XP000942379 ISSN: 0034-6748
  • MUGLER J P ET AL: "MR IMAGING AND SPECTROSCOPY USING HYPERPOLARIZED 129XE GAS: PRELIMINARY HUMAN RESULTS" MAGNETIC RESONANCE IN MEDICINE,US,ACADEMIC PRESS, DULUTH, MN, vol. 37, no. 6, 1 June 1997 (1997-06-01), pages 809-815, XP000655650 ISSN: 0740-3194
  • ROMALIS M V ET AL: "Toward precision polarimetry of dense polarized He targets" NUCLEAR INSTRUMENTS & METHODS IN PHYSICS RESEARCH, SECTION - A: ACCELERATORS, SPECTROMETERS, DETECTORS AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT,NL,NORTH-HOLLAND PUBLISHING COMPANY. AMSTERDAM, vol. 402, no. 2-3, 11 January 1998 (1998-01-11), pages 260-267, XP004107354 ISSN: 0168-9002
   
Note: Within nine months from the publication of the mention of the grant of the European patent, any person may give notice to the European Patent Office of opposition to the European patent granted. Notice of opposition shall be filed in a written reasoned statement. It shall not be deemed to have been filed until the opposition fee has been paid. (Art. 99(1) European Patent Convention).